What's Tempe like compared to Sac, Dallas, Washington, Jacksonville? (living, best, cost)

[RC14]

I may have an opportunity to relocate here. Currently I live in northern California where homes are about $375-$450 for anything new and decent. I see in Tempe they're around $250? Is the climate generally similar? What about diversity, food, entertainment, traffic?

How does this compare to Dallas, Jacksonville, and parts of Washington? Those are also options for me.

Mainly just trying to get any sort of pulse on what the area is like

Thanks

[azdr0710]

Tempe is a fine, progressive, middle-class suburb of Phoenix.....very convenient location within the metro area....home to ASU (in one corner of Tempe).....some older areas and newer areas....

but it's not to be compared to the other cities you mentioned.....those other cities would be compared to Phoenix itself, not just li'l ol' Tempe!.....

you probably should be asking about the entire Phx metro area if you're considering the entirety of those other cities....right??!!

otherwise, low cost-of-living, dry climate (hot in summer), no daylight savings time observed, not terribly diverse (a Phx thing), fine entertainment choices (4.5 million in metro Phx), all the culture and sports that a very large state university could offer, all four major pro sports are in Phx, busy international airport, year-round recreation

[RC14]

So if you were looking for a relatively new home within 10 miles of Tempe (including the city itself), where would you look?

I didn't realize it was part of Phoenix / right next to it. Yes, I'm that clueless

[jamies]

Well, Tempe doesn't get hurricanes, like Jacksonville is about to get hit with. Also it's probably safer by far than the other options. And hotter, and dryer.

[observer53]

You want a "relatively new" home... what's your budget? Nearly new homes in Tempe for $250,000? I don't know where you've seen that price, but it sounds a little low for new or near new, generally, but still lower than NorCal. If your job opportunity is in Tempe, might as well live there if you can. Good quality of life, good public transportation, good parks and rec department, etc. It's landlocked, and there is not a lot of new construction in single family homes.


I've lived in Tempe for decades, and like it very much. The climate is different than all those places, largely due to the hot summers. It is more diverse than other areas of metro Phoenix, thanks to the University and some other factors.

[Buckeye614]

Originally Posted by RC14

I may have an opportunity to relocate here. Currently I live in northern California where homes are about $375-$450 for anything new and decent. I see in Tempe they're around $250? Is the climate generally similar? What about diversity, food, entertainment, traffic?

How does this compare to Dallas, Jacksonville, and parts of Washington? Those are also options for me.

Mainly just trying to get any sort of pulse on what the area is like

Thanks

Are you really asking if the Phoenix metro area has a similar climate to Northern California or any other the metros you listed? lol.

It's the desert. Expect dry heat and extremely hot summers (regular highs above 100 degrees and pleasant winters.

[i'm not a cookie]

I'd ask this in the Phoenix forum.
In short my take on Tempe is that it's the most liberal part of the Phoenix metro, has a lot of young people (mainly in part due to ASU), it's one of the most urban parts of the metro (mainly due to mill av.), it has nice restaurants, nightlife, and cultural activities. It has nice neighborhoods for both families and singles.

[DTXman34]

Originally Posted by RC14

I may have an opportunity to relocate here. Currently I live in northern California where homes are about $375-$450 for anything new and decent. I see in Tempe they're around $250? Is the climate generally similar? What about diversity, food, entertainment, traffic?

How does this compare to Dallas, Jacksonville, and parts of Washington? Those are also options for me.

Mainly just trying to get any sort of pulse on what the area is like

Thanks

Dallas

*Very hot, dry (precip. wise), humid, sunny summers -- most days above 90 degrees from late May - mid/late September. Half the days in July & August tend to be at or above 100. I'd imagine Dallas is a lot more humid than Northern Cali, but less so than Houston. Cooling down period from high 80s in late Sep. to low 70s in early Nov. Dec - Feb is a mix between 40s - 60s, with the occasional ice storm. Warms up into the 70s/80s in Mar - May and tends to be the stormiest season (e.g. heavy rain, high winds, hail, etc.).

*Less expensive than Northern Cali, but more so than Tempe/Phoenix. Housing costs have been rapidly increasing.

*The Dallas side of the DFW Metro is very diverse. Large Asian, Indian, and Hispanic population. The suburban cities of Dallas has a higher Indian & Asian population, while Dallas proper has a higher Hispanic one. Dallas proper also has one of the largest LGBT neighborhoods in the country. I'm not sure where you're coming from in Northern Cali, but I'd say DFW is less diverse than the Bay Area but more so than Tempe/Phoenix. The food scene tends to follow the large ethnic communities here. Dallas proper tends to be better for Asian Fusion, new American, steak, BBQ, (insert trendy hipster place here), and Tex-Mex, while the suburbs have more authentic Chinese, Korean, and Indian.

*Traffic will depend on where you live and work. DFW is layered to death in highways and IMO, can use less of them.

*Entertainment - pretty standard for a large metro. All of the big name bands come through here and we have all of the professional teams. There's a fairly decent music scene, located primarily in Dallas (Deep Ellum), Denton (Univ. of North Texas), and Fort Worth. Be warned though that most of DFW is culturally very bland. Lots of excessive materialism, workaholics, and shopping. You will need to actively look for like minded people who enjoy nightlife, festivals, pro sports teams, outdoor activities, and concerts.

[Westerntraveler]

The summers in Tempe are extremely hot and dry with lots of triple digits.The summers in Dallas are hot and humid.Best of luck on your move.
-WT

[projectmaximus]

I am honestly not very familiar with Phoenix/Tempe. What parts of Washington?

Definitely everything will be cheaper than where you are now. I think Sacramento is sorta the California version of Jax. Similar amenities and vibrancy but Sac has light rail and lots of Asians compared to Jax. Dallas may be a nice option. I find it very livable, affordable and no state income tax is nice too.